Tool Attachment

ABSTRACT

A tool attachment  10  comprising a plurality of pick-up pins  32, 34  or excavator bucket pins, each for threading through a pair of spaced apart holes  26  in a mounting part  22  of the tool, a bush  40  for each hole  26,  fasteners  44  for fastening each bush to a surround of the respective hole and retainers  46  for each end of each pick-up pin  32, 34,  wherein each of the bushes  40  has an eccentric hole  58  there through for receiving a portion of one of the pick-up pins  32, 34  so that the spacing between the pick-up pins  32, 34  can be selected according to the axial orientation of the bushes  40  in relation to the surround  22.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This applications claims priority to and the benefit of AustralianPatent Application No. 2016901849, which was filed May 18, 2016 andtitled “A Tool Attachment.” The contents of the above-captionedAustralian Application are relied upon and incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an attachment mechanism for attaching atool to the arm configuration of an excavating machine.

BACKGROUND

Hydraulic excavating machines are well known. They essentially comprisea power plant mounted to a movable frame. Commonly a track system isused to allow movement of the frame. The power plant is commonlyrotatable with respect to the track system, but this need not be thecase. A mechanical arm configuration is mounted to the power plant sothat a tool can be positioned and operated. There are various types oftool that can be attached to the end of the arm, such as for example abucket, grapple, rock breaker, compactor and pipe lifters for graspingto name but a few.

The attachment of a tool to the coupling end of the mechanical armgenerally comprises two spaced apart attachment parts, generally in theform of spaced apart plates, with spaced apart holes though each plate.The holes in each plate align and are for receiving pick-up pins thatextend between the attachment parts. The coupling end of the armcomprises a linkage for connection to the pick-up pins. There will oftenbe a hydraulic ram which moves the linkage, there by changing therelative position of the pick-up pins with respect to the arm, to forexample tilt or crowd the bucket. The tool may also have othercomponents, such as a hydraulic ram for operation of a thumb or jaw partof a grapple.

Different manufacturers provide slightly different dimensionedattachment mechanisms for their tools to their mechanical arms. Thisresults there being different sized pick-up pins and linkages for eachmanufacturer. Thus a tool from one manufacturer is generally not usableon the excavator of another manufacture.

The present invention have been developed with this problem in mind.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,770,311 is directed to a similar problem, but implementsa solution that is different to the present invention.

Any references to documents that are made in this specification are notintended to be an admission that the information contained in thosedocuments form part of the common general knowledge known to a personskilled in the field of the invention, unless explicitly stated as such.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a toolattachment comprising a plurality of pick-up pins or excavator bucketpins, each for threading through a pair of spaced apart holes in amounting part of the tool, a bush for each hole, fasteners for fasteningeach bush to a surround of the respective hole and retainers for eachend of each pick-up pin, wherein each of the bushes has an eccentrichole there through for receiving a portion of one of the pick-up pins sothat the spacing between the pick-up pins can be selected according tothe axial orientation of the bushes in relation to the surround.

In an embodiment the centre of the eccentric hole is orbitally movableabout an axis with axial rotation of the bush with respect to thesurround. In an embodiment the pick-up pins are narrower than the holein the mounting part of the tool. In an embodiment the pick-up pin isable to pass through the hole in the mounting part of the toolirrespective of the orientation of the bush in the hole.

In an embodiment there is a spacer for each hole, wherein the spacersare dimensioned in thickness according to the required spacing betweenthe bushes on the same pick-up pin. In an embodiment each spacer is inthe form of a disc.

In an embodiment the fasteners are a set of bolts and nuts.

In an embodiment each retainer is a bolt and a respective nut. In anembodiment the respective nut is self-tightening.

In an embodiment the bushes comprise a radially extending flange with aplurality of holes there through for receiving the fasteners. In anembodiment the mounting part has a set of holes for alignment with theholes of each of the bushes and for receiving the fasteners.

In an embodiment the pick-up pin is a tube with transverses holesadjacent each end for receiving the retainers.

In an embodiment the tool is a bucket tool or a grapple tool forattachment to the arm or quick hitch of an excavator.

In an embodiment the spacer thickness is selected according to thedimension of the surrounds of the mounting part of the tool. Where thetool has wider apart mounting parts, the spacers can be thicker. Thustools of different spacing between mounting parts can be used for agiven type of arm coupling that attached to the pick-up pins. In anembodiment the spacers each comprise a plurality of holes for receivingthe fasteners.

In an embodiment the rotational orientation of the bushes is selectedaccording to the required spacing of the pick-up pins for a given typeof arm coupling.

The present invention allows for coupling of a tool with spaced apartmounting parts to be able to be used with a given arm with differentspacing of the mounting parts. The present invention allows for couplingof a tool with spaced apart holes for receiving the pick-up pins of onesize to the used with a given arm would a coupling for a differentspacing of the holes.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided anexcavator comprising an arm, a tool, and an attachment mechanism if thetool to the arm, the attachment mechanism comprising a plurality ofpick-up pins, each for threading through a pair of spaced apart holes ina mounting part of the tool, a bush for each hole, fasteners forfastening each bush to the surround of the respective hole and retainersfor each end of each pick-up pin, wherein each of the bushes has aneccentric hole there through for receiving a portion of one of thepick-up pins so that the spacing between the pick-up pins can beselected according to the axial orientation of the bushes in relation tothe surround.

Throughout the specification and claims, unless the context requiresotherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or“comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a statedinteger or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integeror group of integers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In order to provide a better understanding of the present inventionembodiments will now be described, by way of example only, withreference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool attachment attached to a toolaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the tool attachment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bush of the tool attachment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a spacer of the tool attachment of FIG.1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pick-up pin of the tool attachment ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another bush of the tool attachment ofFIG. 1, which is different to that shown in FIG. 3 and shown from theopposite side of side seen in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a tool attachment 10 attached to atool 12. In this embodiment the tool 12 is in the form of a grapple. Inother embodiment the tool may be a different type of tool, such as forexample a bucket. The grapple comprises a ripper or finger part 14 andan opposable, pivotable jaw 16, comprising two fingers. The jaw 16 ispivotable about pivot axis 18. The jaw 16 is actuated by a ram pivotallyattached at pivot 20.

The part 14 has a mounting part comprising two spaced apart plates 24extending orthogonal to the plane of operation of the fingers of thepart 14. These plates each have two spaced apart holes 26 and 28, wherethe holes 26 of one plate 22 are aligned with the holes 28 of the otherplate 24 to receive pick-up pins 32 and 34. Commonly a standard bushwill be used to couple the pick-up pins to the plates. In the presentinvention the standard bushes are removed.

The tool attachment 10 comprises a plurality of pick-up pins, in thiscase two pick up pins 32 and 34, and an eccentric bush 40 for each hole26/28. In one form the tool attachment 10 also comprises a spacer 42 foreach hole 26/28, fasteners 44 for fastening each bush to the surround ofthe respective hole 26/28 and retainers 46 for each end of each pick-uppin.

As seen in FIG. 2, the bushes 40 have an eccentric hole 58 therethroughfor receiving a portion of one of the pick-up pins 32/34 so that thespacing between the pick-up pins 32 and 34 can be selected according tothe axial orientation of the bushes in relation to the plate 22/24.

The spacers 42 are dimensioned in thickness according to the requiredspacing between the bushes 40 on the same pick-up pin 32/34.

In an embodiment the fasteners 44 are a set of bolts and nuts. In anembodiment each retainer 46 is a bolt and a respective nut. In anembodiment the respective nut is self tightening.

Referring to FIG. 3, the bush 40 is shown in isolation. The bushcomprises a radially extending flange 50 with holes 52 therethrough forreceiving the fasteners 44. An external collar portion 56 has the axialhole 58 therethrough, where the hole centre is axially off-set from thecentre of the circular flange 50, thereby making the bush eccentric. Thecollar portion 56 has a transverse set of holes 60 for receiving one ofthe retainers 46. The bush also comprise an insert collar 54.

Referring to FIG. 6, the insert collar 54 is inserted in a respectiveone of the holes 26/28. This will result in two bushes facing onedirection from plate 22 (orientation of FIG. 3) and two bushes facing inthe opposite direction from the other plate 24 (with an orientation ofFIG. 6). The eccentric nature of the hole 58 is more readily appreciatedin FIG. 6.

As seen in FIG. 5, the pick-up pin 32/34 is a tube 80 with transverseholes 82 adjacent each end for receiving the retainers 46.

In an embodiment the centre of the eccentric hole is orbitally movableabout an axis with axial rotation of the bush 40 with respect to theplates 22 and 24. In an embodiment the spacing of the pick-up pins 32and 34 can be selected. Where the linkage requires narrower spacingbetween the pick-up pins 32/34 this can be adjusted by rotation of thebushes 40.

Also the pick-up pin 32/34 is able to pass through the respective hole26/28 in the mounting part of the tool irrespective of the orientationof the bush 40 in the hole 26/28.

In an embodiment the rotational orientation of the bushes 40 is selectedaccording to the required spacing of the pick-up pins 32/34 for a giventype of arm linkage.

The spacer 42 is shown in more detail in FIG. 4. The spacer 42 is in theform of a disc with a hole 72 through its centre. The spacer 42 has aset of holes in a circular pattern for receiving the fasteners 44. In anembodiment the thickness 70 of the spacer 42 is selected according tothe spacing between the plates 22 and 24. Where the tool has wider apartplates 22 and 24, the spacers 42 can be thicker. Thus tools of differentspacing between mounting plates 22 and 24 can be used for a given typeof arm linkage that attaches to the pick-up pins.

The present invention allows for coupling of a tool with spaced apartmounting parts to be able to be used with a given arm with differentspacing of the mounting parts. The present invention allows for couplingof a tool with spaced apart holes for receiving the pick-up pins of onesize to the used with a given arm would a coupling for a differentspacing of the holes.

Modifications may be made to the present invention within the context ofthat described and shown in the drawings. Such modifications areintended to form part of the invention described in this specification.

I claim:
 1. A tool attachment comprising a plurality of pick-up pins orexcavator bucket pins, each for threading through a pair of spaced apartholes in a mounting part of the tool, a bush for each hole, fastenersfor fastening each bush to a surround of the respective hole andretainers for each end of each pick-up pin, wherein each of the busheshas an eccentric hole there through for receiving a portion of one ofthe pick-up pins so that the spacing between the pick-up pins can beselected according to the axial orientation of the bushes in relation tothe surround.
 2. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein thecentre of the eccentric hole is orbitally movable about an axis withaxial rotation of the bush with respect to the surround.
 3. The toolattachment according to claim 1, wherein the pick-up pins are narrowerthan the hole in the mounting part of the tool.
 4. The tool attachmentaccording to claim 1, wherein the pick-up pin is able to pass throughthe hole in the mounting part of the tool irrespective of theorientation of the bush in the hole.
 5. The tool attachment according toclaim 1, further comprising a spacer for each hole, wherein the spacersare dimensioned in thickness according to the required spacing betweenthe bushes on the same pick-up pin.
 6. The tool attachment according toclaim 5, wherein each spacer is in the form of a disc.
 7. The toolattachment according to claim 1, wherein the fasteners are a set ofbolts and nuts.
 8. The tool attachment according to claim 1, whereineach retainer is a bolt and a respective nut.
 9. The tool attachmentaccording to claim 1, wherein the bushes each comprise a radiallyextending flange with a plurality of holes there through for receivingthe fasteners.
 10. The tool attachment according to claim 9, wherein themounting part has a set of holes for alignment with the holes of each ofthe bushes and for receiving the fasteners.
 11. The tool attachmentaccording to claim 1, wherein the pick-up pin is a tube with transversesholes adjacent each end for receiving the retainers.
 12. The toolattachment according to claim 1, wherein each spacer has thicknessselected according to the dimension of the surrounds of the mountingpart of the tool.
 13. The tool attachment according to claim 1, whereinthe spacers each comprise a plurality of holes for receiving thefasteners.
 14. The tool attachment according to claim 1, wherein therotational orientation of the bushes is selected according to therequired spacing of the pick-up pins for a given type of arm coupling.15. An excavator comprising an arm, a tool, and a tool attachmentaccording to claim 1.